Ghana's Future Lies In Renewables - Not Nuclear Power

Recent reports about the activities of Ghana's pro-nuclear lobby have been very worrying. Apparently, they have now arrived at a consensus that private nuclear power companies, ought to be allowed to build a nuclear power plant, in Ghana.

Whatever next, I ask? Hmm Ghana, eyeasem o - asem kesie ebeba debi ankasa. Nuclear power - in a nation where project design specifications are almost always secretly changed to accommodate kickbacks for individual politicians and political parties?

The very thought of a nuclear power project in such a corrupt society makes one shudder.

The question is: How can a nation that invariably neglects to regularly maintain its stock of completed infrastructure projects, and literally leaves them to deteriorate over time, think of allowing private companies to build nuclear power plants?

Who will safeguard and secure the radioactive waste from such nuclear power plants - which will pose a constant danger to millions of people  for thousands of years to come? Will private companies bid for that, too?

What right does a vampire-elite - which so completely dominates a mostly-selfish and corrupt society - that is guilty of such irresponsible attitudes towards maintaining Ghana's infrastructure, have, to condemn future generations to such a terrible fate?

Do those who see nuclear power as the panacea for today's crippling shortage of electricity, not realise, that there actually are exciting cutting-edge developments, in the renewables sector - that could eventually provide Ghana with limitless and never ending supplies of reliable and affordable electricity?

Let members of Ghana's blinkered political class,  as well as the calcified and hard-of-hearing political parties that they belong to, be a tad more confident, of the future of this potentially great nation of ours. Let them think creatively and be more positive in their outlook for a change. Haaba.

Perhaps it might surprise our nation's politicians to learn, for example, that Alcoa, the multinational aluminium company, is collaborating with a research team led by Australia's University of Adelaide, in a project to test and evaluate utility-scale thermal solar heat generation, for smeltering aluminium. Yes.

The question is: Should Valco not be encouraged to work with the University of Adelaide project team on the idea at this early stage - since adopting the new technology, when proven, will benefit its bottom line in the long-term: because it will be able to cut down on its use of power from the national grid?

Would that not transform the state-owned Valco's business model - and finally make it an efficient and profitable producer of aluminium ingots?

And to think that apparently the management of Valco were actually planning to build their own coal-fired power plant. Incredible.

If Valco collaborates with the University of Adelaide project team, would it not eventually lead to the company acquiring an industrial utility-scale thermal solar solution to generating heat for smeltering? Ditto for electricity?

So why do the geniuses who currently lead our country, not simply order the Ghana High Commission in Canberra, to contact the project team at the University of Adelaide on Valco's behalf - and do some work that has the potential to benefit Ghana's GDP for a change? Hmm, Ghana - eyeasem o.

Those in Ghana who look to nuclear power as a panacea for resolving our nation's power-deficit challenges, should  take a good look at the U.S. renewable energy company, Oscilla Power - and behold its exciting and game-changing wave energy harvesting technology.

Ditto the University of Sydney spinoff, Gelion Technologies, whose newly-invented gel-based storage battery technology has produced storage batteries that can be encased in the walls of buildings. Imagine that. Amazing.

Does it not give a whole new meaning to each of the two phrases "democratising energy" and "off-grid energy independence"?

Indeed, one can imagine a brave new future, of new green and energy-efficient housing developments across Ghana, which are powered by solar power systems, which have cutting-edge energy storage batteries. Fantastic.

The question there is: Why do our short-sighted ruling elites not invite Oscilla Power and Gelion Technologies to use Ghana as their African test-bed - so that we will be early adopters of their game-changing renewables-sector inventions when they eventually go into commercial production?

Ghana's future definitely lies in exploiting cutting-edge renewables-sector inventions - not in building nuclear power plants: the radioactive waste of which we will neither store safely,  nor secure properly, because of our lackadaisical attitude to maintenance and security. Nuclear power in Ghana? It just doesn't bear thinking. This blog rests its case.